4 thoughts on “No Insinuation”

Yes! This is exactly right. I resent the way my computer formats my work for me, gives me capitalisations, a z instead of an s, new lines (margin release button?) and replaces my words with inappropriate nonsense! I also resent the way it reminds me how useless I am at not getting side-tracked. The typewriter is a nice, polite machine. Like a faithful hound, it will always agree with what you have just said, typos and all.

There are so many things wrong with how we justify using a typewriter… and yet they are the most right things, too. When you say we choose to purposely hobble ourselves, it may actually be that we are casting off burdens we don’t want to carry. All those “labor saving” qualities of chaining ourselves to a computer often involve doing more work than doing without. Those who tell themselves they can’t afford the time to do multiple drafts probably aren’t writing anything worthy of a first one.

As for always being ready, so is a pen or pencil. It is so much easier for me to pick one up than to turn my chair toward the typewriter. But… writer’s cramp. Some of us struggle enough with writer’s block without adding hand pain to the equation. None of my typewriters demand enough effort to wear me out; I’ll run out of ideas before I run low on endurance.

Also, I don’t think we’re afraid of a little effort. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Checking your own spelling, grammar, and syntax is a mental exercise. And who wants a flabby brain?